AN ADDRESS

TO THE

OLERGY AND CHRISTIANS

OF ALL DENOMINATIONS;

WITH SOME

DISCRIMINATIVE

MARKS OF GRACE.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

The following pages were written under an inpressive sense of the languishing state of religion. It is not intended by the Author to censure or to reflect upon those to whom it is addressed; but to offer a few hints, which the great Head of the Church may bless to his faithful ministers, whom we esteem very highly in love for their work's sake. We doubt not that many of them mourn in secret on account of the want of success in their ministrations, and long to see the pleasure of the Lord, prospering in their hands. To such, we believe our remarks will not appear altogether unseasonable. If the writer has been actuated by proper motives, (and we have the testimony of our own conscience in this respect) and has taken a correct view of this very important subject, may he not hope that the blessing of God will accompany and succeed this humble attempt, though it be but as a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple?

If it should be intimated, that an Address to the Clergy would have come with more propriety from a Divine, than from an obscure Layman, the fact is readily admitted; yet we may be permitted to say, that ministers in general think they have already enough to do, and if we can in any wise aid them in their labours, by strengthening their hands or exciting their zeal, even though we should only be as hewers of wood and drawers of water to the congregation of the faithful, may we not hope for acceptance according to that which we have, and not be estimated according to that which we have not?

As to the imperfections which the skilful eye of the practised critic may detect, it is only needful to say we are made up of imperfections-none is free from them--"None is good but one, that is God." Our chief encouragement is derived from the views and (we may hope) the experience we have had of His power and grace, in some cases when all human help had utterly failed, and when we were constrained to trust in God alone, and were helped. We may well say with the Psalmist, " If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, &c." In what we have written, we have no hope of benefit or usefulness, but through the grace of the Holy Spirit, who, we firmly believe, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings can ordain strength.

No one who believes the sacred Scriptures to be a divine revelation, will deny the preaching of the gospel to be of divine appointment. "It hath pleased God," saith an Apostle, "by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe"-but "the power is of God." So that Paul may plant and Apollos may water, and God giveth the increase. This truth is, in theory, so generally admitted by all who have taken upon themselves the name of christians, that it needs no illustration-but its practical influence-alas! we fear it is known and felt by few. To all who feel interested in the spread of the Redeemer's kingdom, and more especially those who have been called to, or have in prospect, the sacred office of the gospel ministry, are the following pages respectfully addressed.

AN ADDRESS

TO THE

CLERGY AND CHRISTIANS

OF ALL DENOMINATIONS, &c.

MUCH RESPECTED FATHERS AND BRETHREN,

You who are ambassadors for Christ, have taken upon you a heavy weight of responsibility. You may well adopt the language of the Apostle, and ask, "Who is sufficient for these things?"

"No other post affords a place,

"For equal honour or disgrace."

As the excellency of the power in giving success to the word preached, is of God, so the praise and glory must be ascribed to him alone. Let it therefore be kept in constant remembrance, that "He is jealous of his honour, and his glory he will not give to another.".

When our Divine Master was about to depart from his disconsolate disciples, having opened their understandings that they might understand the scriptures, he addressed them thus: "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." He had before said, "Without me ye can do nothing"-and, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him." From these, and many other pas